1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a waterproof shoe, more particularly to a shoe having a waterproof, breathable lining mounted within an upper.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a typical waterproof breathable shoe includes an upper 1, an inner liner 2, and a lining 3 made of a waterproof breathable laminate, an insole 4, and an outsole 5 attached to the bottom end of the upper 1. The lining 3 is adhered to the inner liner 2 to form an integral unit before being assembled within the upper 1. In assembly, the top ends of the lining 3 and the inner liner 2 are sewn to the top end of the upper 1. While the waterproof shoe as such can provide a waterproofing effect, since the lining sleeve 3 is bonded to the inner liner 2 by using an adhesive, the breathable characteristics of the lining sleeve 3 can be affected adversely by the adhesive.
FIG. 2 shows a sock-like liner 6 made of a waterproof breathable laminate as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,810. The liner 6 has a bottom closed end extending below an insole which is connected to an upper by a lasting process. The top end of the liner 6 is connected to the top end of the upper. Since the bottom end of the liner 6 need to extend below the insole, it can be damaged by the forces applied to the insole during the lasting process. Although the outer surface of the bottom end of the liner 6 can be protected by adhering a protective tape thereto, the use of the protective tape can increase the production cost thereof. In addition, the mechanical stress produced at the bottom of the shoe can cause the bottom end of the liner 6 to wear after a period of use. Especially, the liner 6 which extends to the toe region of a shoe may be pierced by the toe nails of the wearer's foot.
In order to provide long lasting waterproofness of a waterproof breathable liner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,382 suggests a shoe in which a waterproof breathable lining is bonded adhesively to an inner side of an upper and to an outer side of an inner liner. The lower area of the waterproof breathable lining has a border section which is turned back and bonded to the side having a functional layer. While the waterproof breathable lining can withstand the mechanical stress produced by the wearer's foot, the arrangement thereof is complicated. In addition, since the lining extends to the bottom of the upper, a considerable amount of waterproof breathable material is needed to fabricate the lining, thereby increasing the production cost.